THE SWEET LIFE

CHAPTER FIVE

They awoke the next morning with the sound of birds singing outside and laughed as a squirrel skittered across the top of their tent. A quick little tussle and they were up and washing up as best they could. A little bit of a water fight, a snapping of towels and they barely got dressed before the water well man showed up honking his horn trying to find them.

They pulled their boots on and hurried out just as he pulled up to their campsite.

"Morning," he called out to them. "I like to get an early start on this kind of thing. I never know how long it's going to take for me to go over a place and decide where to drill." He shook hands with both of them.

"What do you need from us?" Ennis asked.

"Well, you got some place picked out you gonna build on or do you just want me to find the best place?"

"We're thinkin of building back here in the woods somewhere; haven't decided exactly where yet."

"OK. Let me drive the place over and take a look at my maps see what I can come up with."

"Sure thing," Ennis answered, lighting a cigarette. "We'll be right here when you finish."

The well man got back in his truck and took off.

Jack set about starting the coffee and Ennis started up some oatmeal.

"Once he starts the drillin we can see about runnin electricity over here; shouldn't be all that much as they already have it across the road and it'd be only a short distance to run it over here."

"That'd be great to have electricity here to the campsite." Jack agreed eagerly.

"Yeah, but we'd best use it only when we need it. We can still use the lantern and the candles for light; I figured we'd pick up a couple of little electric heaters in case we get some cold weather."

"Maybe we could get a little refrigerator? Keep some meat and maybe some beer in it."

"We'll see about that." Ennis agreed; grinning at Jack's constant need to be fed.

"We could get some bacon and eggs and have us a real healthy breakfast." Jack offered.

"Oatmeal's healthy," Ennis said.

"Yeah, but bacon and eggs taste better. We could even get some butter and milk make some pan cakes. You like pan cakes?"

"Yeah, I like pan cakes, Jack." Ennis smiled as he spooned the last of his oatmeal into his mouth. "Once we get the electricity, I think a small refrigerator would be just fine."

"You do?" Jack was surprised.

"Yep. We could get some lunchmeat and some jelly to go with our peanut butter. We got room enough to fit a small one in here."

"All the comforts of home!" Jack grinned. "We could go into town this afternoon and look for one."

"Now wait a minute here. Let's find out about the well first and see how much it's gonna cost. Don't forget we got the well head and pump to buy yet too. We gotta see how much that's gonna set us back."

"You got that all figured out in the budget, don't you?"

"Them figures is all just guesswork, Jack, based on a well old man Cole put in five years ago. Don't know how close to reality they are now and we don't know how deep he's gonna have to drill."

"OK. I see your point. You been right about everything else. I'm really likin our campsite. Just wish we had us a place to clean up."

"I been thinkin on that one. Once we get the well in, we can run a tap over here somewhere and maybe set up a shower. Won't be no hot water, and won't do come winter but maybe we could make do with it through the spring and summer."

"You thinkin of all this stuff just to please me?" Jack asked; never before in his life had anyone ever done things just to please him. It was a little shocking to him and pleased him very much.

"Uh huh. I know this isn't exactly what you wanted, this tent and all; so I wanna do whatever I can to make you glad you asked me to go into this with you." Ennis stated matter of factly.

"I'd a gone into this with you if we had to sleep in the truck for the next five years."

Ennis just smiled and got up. He took their bowls to the wash tub and rinsed them out. Jack followed with the coffee cups and rinsed them.

They stood leaning against Jack's truck and smoking when the well man drove back up and hopped out of his truck. "Didn't take as long as I thought it would. Got the perfect spot picked out. It's right in line with several other wells in the area and the water ain't all that deep. I can start Monday morning if you want but you gotta come into town and sign all the paperwork first."

"Not a problem. We can go now if you want?" Jack said after Ennis agreed with a nod.

"Sure thing. Let's do it." The well man jumped back in his pickup and headed out. Jack and Ennis followed him into town.

The up-front payment was right in the neighborhood that Ennis thought it would be; the final payment would come after the drilling and would depend on how deep and how much time it took to drill.

While in town they picked up another chunk of ice for each ice chest and bought a few more things. They got some hamburger meat and splurged on some bacon and eggs, along with some balogna and ham for sandwiches and a couple six packs of beer.

For dinner, Jack worked over the bar-b-cue and the hamburgers while Ennis fried up some potatoes to go with them. They split a can of peaches between them for dessert.

Next morning found Jack grumpy over having to do his business in the woods.

"Jack, I'm sorry but there just ain't no way around that."

"Maybe we can buy one of those port-a-potties or somethin. They can't cost all that much it sure would be a blessing."

"We'll look into it, Jack, after the auction. Eat your eggs now and we'll try and fix something to sit your sweet ass on after while."

Jack gave him a smile and devoured his breakfast. In no time they were headed out to the Miller place. There were about fifty people out there but most seemed to be interested in the animals or the furniture that had been brought outside and was now set out on the lawn on display. Only half a dozen others seemed to take notice of the equipment.

They stood around and waited while the furniture was auctioned off; then the pickup and station wagon went next. Then the tractor was driven out. Some huge mountain of a man with bushy red hair opened the bidding with a ridiculously low bid and the auctioneer sneered at him and told him to get realistic.

Most of the crowd had gone now and just a half dozen or so men remained. The red head upped his bid by a hundred and the auctioneer shook his head. Ennis upped the bid by a thousand.

"What the fuck!" The red head shouted and turned to see who was bidding against him.
Another fellow called out a bid and upped Ennis's bid by five hundred. The red head topped the bid by five dollars. Ennis topped it with another five hundred.

"Son of a bitch! The red head turned and glared at Ennis. The redhead topped the bid by another five dollars.

Ennis upped his bid by another thousand and decided that was his limit. If the red head topped him again he'd let him have it.

The red head looked like a bull steaming his way over to where Ennis and Jack stood; every eye was on them.

"What the hell you fairies gonna do with a tractor anyway; you even know how to use one?" He snarled and grabbed Ennis by his jacket. Ennis pulled back and buried his fist in the guy's stomach and the red head hit the ground.

"Going once, going twice, SOLD to the gentleman with the fine right arm!" The auctioneer announced quickly. The remaining crowd cheered.

The red head's chums hauled him up off the ground and headed to their truck.

The auction was all but over with as no one was interested in the mower and baler and other odds and ends of equipment. The auctioneer came over to Ennis and Jack and shook their hands. "That was a mighty fine punch you threw there; ole Red had it comin."

"Didn't mean to cause no fuss, Sir." Ennis stammered.

"You didn't, Son. Red did; you just finished it and I appreciate it. You got any interest in the rest of this stuff?"

"As a matter of fact, we do. Is the auction over?" Ennis asked as every one was making their way to their vehicles.

"Guess it is. Furniture's gone and the herd's not going to be sold off 'till Monday in Sheridan."

"I was wonderin about some of the rest of this stuff." Ennis gestured to the rest of the equipment lying around in piles.

"What is it you need?"

"Practically all of it. We're just settin up a place and we need 'bout everything."

"Well, this is all that's left. How about I make you a price for the whole kit and caboodle and you can say yay or nay?"

"Sounds good to me but we're on a pretty tight budget. Don't know if we can afford it all; after just buying the tractor." Ennis hedged just a bit. He knew they needed it all, the tools as well as the equipment but wasn't sure how much it would run.

The offer was made and Ennis accepted it. With a handshake the deal was done and Jack wrote out the check. They loaded up what they could in the back of the pickup, which included a log splitter, a chain saw, a wheel barrow, as well as various other farm tools; a tool box they hadn't even opened proved to be full of Craftsman tools; most looking like they'd never even been used. Ennis drove the tractor while Jack drove the pickup behind him with his lights flashing and signaling anyone behind them to pass them. Then they went back and got the rest of the equipment.

As they were heading out the auctioneer thanked them and warned them to watch out for ole Red. They took him at his word and made a stop in Sheridan on their way home to pick up some shells for their gun and a lock for their front gate. They also made a stop at Sears and bought a port-a-potty.

"Looks like we got some fine stuff here, Ennis. You did good." Jack commented as they unloaded.

"Uh huh. This tool box was a bonus. I never even saw it. Most of these things look brand new."

"I heard a coupla guys talkin while they was auctioning off the furniture and you was looking at that tractor. Miller was only 43 years old and had just taken over the place from his wife's father who had passed away; when he found out he had cancer; eight months later and he was gone himself. Can you imagine that? Only 43 years old! Hell, that's only a few years older than we are."

"No kiddin? Shit, that's a shame." Ennis said.

"Uh huh. I heard the wife had already sold the place and was back in Indiana with her sister."

"Well, I'm glad she's got people to look after her."

"Yeah, me too." Jack agreed as he slung an arm over Ennis's shoulder. "You think ole Red is gonna give us any trouble?"

"Don't know. When was the last time you cleaned that rifle anyway? We'd better get it cleaned up and ready just in case."

"I'd rather get myself cleaned up and ready; just in case." Jack gave him a lusty grin with a raise of the eyebrows.

"I could use a little washin up myself. You start haulin up some fresh water while I clean the gun."

"Sounds good to me." Jack loaded up the five-gallon water jugs in the back of the pickup and headed down closer to the creek. He went out into the creek stepping on stones to where the water was deeper and began filling up the containers. By the time he got them all filled and back to the camp site, Ennis was finishing up with the gun and sliding a cartridge into the chamber.

Jack dumped the old water out and brought one tub inside. He cleared off the table and sat the tub on top and dumped one container of water in it. Ennis had put their largest pots filled with water to heat, one on their little stove and one on the bar-b-cue and they set about getting ready to bathe. They got out towels and clean clothes and Jack turned down the bed.

"Jack, it's the middle of the afternoon. You ready for bed this early?" Ennis grinned as he poured the hot water into the wash tub.

"Just in case," Jack answered innocently.

"Just in case what?" Ennis asked as he unsnapped his shirt and pulled off his boots.

"Just in case you might want to take a little nap."

"Bathing makes you sleepy; does it?" Ennis teased as he shucked his jeans.

Jack stared at his favorite thing to stare at and took a deep breath. "One of these days I'm gonna think of a way to tell you what you do to me, Cowboy." He pulled off his clothes and Ennis tossed him a wash cloth.

"Start at the top and wash everything down as far as possible. Then start at the bottom and wash everything up as far as possible; then wash possible." Ennis grinned at him.

"Don't you worry none about that. I wash possible a lot; sometimes a lot faster that others." Jack lathered up and tossed the soap at Ennis. "Don't forget behind your ears. You know that's my favorite place."

"Oh really? Then how come you spend so much time further down? Huh?" Ennis stuck his head in the tub and soaped up his hair, neck, ears and face. Another dunking of his head and he reached for the towel. A quick wiping of his hair and he reached for the wash cloth.

Jack was doing the same. Out from under the towel Jack was saying. "It's my favorite place for sleepin I mean. Not necessarily my favorite place in the whole world."

"And where would that be?" Ennis asked as he soaped up his arms, chest and down the front."

"Anywhere, flat on my back with my legs up over your shoulders." Jack answered.

Ennis chuckled as he rinsed off and ordered Jack to turn around. Jack did as he was told and Ennis soaped up his back and scrubbed it good. A quick rinse off and he turned for Jack to do the same for him. Then they each got a hold of a handle and lifted the tub down to the floor. Jack stepped into it first and Ennis squatted down and started soaping him up. Jack lifted one foot at a time and Ennis washed them. Then it was up each leg and Jack stepped quickly out.

"Hey, I wasn't finished yet." Ennis complained.

"I already washed there. Now I get to wash you." Jack insisted and Ennis stepped into the tub. One foot then the other then up the legs he went. He grabbed onto Ennis before he had a chance to pull away and Ennis yelped.

"Hey! If I can't do that; neither can you!" He pulled back and stepped out of the tub. They dried off quickly and headed for the bed; Ennis snapping the towel at Jack's backside and getting a squeal out of him. In no time at all Jack was in his favorite position which, by coincidence, just happened to be Ennis's favorite position as well.

They rested a while then took a walk around the place. Ennis said they needed to get some tablets and pencils and start making plans; where to put the barn and cross fencing and which field to plant what in. They picked out a small pasture and decided they would plow that one up first and put in their vegetable garden. They had another two weeks before they needed to go back to Riverton to pick up Ennis's horses as the stable fee was paid up till the end of the month. They hoped by then to have their fields planted and their vegetable garden in.

There was some cross fencing on the property so they would be able to pasture the horses and keep them out of the garden and off the drive way they had scraped out with their new tractor.

They sat and talked that night making plans about what to plant and how much of everything. Ennis said he wanted to get some fruit trees and Jack agreed. They decided to plow the next day and hit the nursery on Monday after the well man got out and got started. Ennis made a list on a piece of brown paper torn from a grocery bag and using a stub of a pencil Jack dug out of his glove compartment. Ennis sharpened it with his knife and started writing. The kerosene lantern hung from the center post of their ceiling and gave the place a golden glow. His list grew to cover both sides of the paper and they gave up for the night.

Jack lit the candles that sat on top of their chest of drawers and Ennis turned the lantern off. It was then that they heard the noise; a loud crash.

"What was that?" Jack asked.

Ennis blew out the candles and went for the gun.

"Get in the truck, Jack. If you hear me fire this gun, you take off, ya hear?"

"Hell no! I'm not runnin!"

"If I shoot at somethin, we'll need the sheriff. You'll need to fetch him."

"No fuckin way I'm leavin here unless your ass is sittin beside me in that truck!"

"Fuck! Hush then and keep down." Ennis snuck out of the tent with Jack crouched right behind him; eyes wide as saucers.

They heard the crash again and figured out what it was. Someone was ramming their front gate. It must have given way with the second crash as they heard tires squealing and the rumble of a vehicle headed their way. They crept through the trees and up towards the front of the property until they saw the truck heading in their direction.

"Down, Jack. Down on your belly so they think there's only one they're dealin with."

Jack did as he was told and flattened out on the ground behind some bushes. Ennis walked on a ways out into the path of the truck. When its lights caught him they stopped. The driver's door opened and Red stumbled out.

"Well if it isn't the new fairy in town," he slurred his words together. Another pickup pulled up behind them. Two men got out of the first truck and backed up Red. Another two got out of the second pickup and walked up.

"You boys best be gettin on out of here now. You're trespassin on private property."
Ennis called out to them as he stood in the headlights facing them; the rifle resting against his shoulder so there was no way they could miss seeing it.

"C'mon Red. Let's forget about this. He's got a gun. I don't want no part of this." One of Red's friends got back in the pickup. The men from the second pickup came up to either side of Red.

"There won't be any need for any shootin. Red's just a little drunk is all." They tried to pull him back to his truck but Red wasn't havin any of it.

"You think you can take me?" Red yelled. "You wanna try it?"

"Go on home now, Red." Ennis called back to him.

"There's only one a him and he ain't got the guts to shoot; them fairies never do. Let's take 'em. Show him how we treat fairies 'round here." Red made a lunge towards him and Ennis fired a shot into the dirt a few feet in front of him. Red stopped dead in his tracks and started cursing a blue streak; waving his fist in the air and shouting obscenities. One of the guys from the second truck went back to his truck.

It worried Ennis for a minute thinking he might be going for a weapon but he just sat there and waited. Red kept howling "He's alone; let's get him," but no one made a move.

Jack called out from his place back in the darkness, "He ain't exactly alone, Red. I got your fat belly in my gun sights right now. You take a step closer and you'll see why I won the blue ribbon at the Crook County Shooting Exhibition last year. I bet you a dollar I can put a hole right where you dribbled catsup on the front of your shirt. Wanna bet?"

Red glanced down at his stained shirt and took a step back. He stood for a minute not knowing what to do then called out to them. "This ain't over. Not by a long shot." His buddies pulled him back to his truck and he got in and the two trucks drove off, spewing dirt behind them.

They waited a few minutes then walked up to the front of the place and checked out their gate. It was all twisted and bent out of shape.

"Shit!" Jack said giving it a kick.

"It wasn't much of a gate anyway, Jack. It was pretty but not very practical. We'll see about getting us a better one tomorrow when we're in town. "C'mon. Let's go to bed."

Jack snarled and cursed all the way back to their tent while Ennis walked in silence.

"Ain't you got nothin to say 'bout what just happened? Ain't you mad as hell?" Jack asked as they went inside and zipped the door shut.

Ennis lit the lantern then sat at the table and lit a cigarette. "Sit." he said and Jack sat.

"Aren't you pissed?" Jack asked.

"Jack, when I decided to give this thing of us livin together a try, I knew somethin like this or worse could happen. I told you about what happened to my neighbor down home. Lots of people hate people like us. It's just the way they was brung up. He was probably taught that stuff from his Pa."

"Well that don't make it any better!" Jack insisted.

"I know that. What I'm sayin is, it wasn't half as bad as I was always scared it would be."

"Huh?"

"It was just one man wantin to fight me, Jack; one drunken man. The rest of them didn't want no part of it."

"What's that got to do with anythin?"

"When I loaded that gun this afternoon; I figured I'd have to kill someone. I didn't. So it turned out not so bad."

"So you're not mad because you didn't have to kill anyone?" Jack asked.

"Uh huh. That's about it. Ain't no body else been nothin but nice to us since we got here. Maybe this will be the last of it. Specially now that Red knows you're a Blue Ribbon sharp-shooter at … what the hell was that place you was talkin about?" Ennis grinned.

"Oh that; well I kinda made all that up." Jack settled down some.

"I figured. Last time I saw you shoot the only thing I was worried about was that you'd shoot your own foot off."

"Well Red don't need to know that." Jack said and leaned back and lit a smoke.

"How'd you know about that catsup on his shirt?" Ennis asked.

"Saw it this morning at the auction. I couldn't really see it tonight but it looked like the same shirt.

"He may just think twice before payin us another visit." Ennis said.

"That's what I'm hopin." Jack said with a slow smile.

"You did good tonight, Jack. You kept your head and we got through it."

"Uh huh. I was real scared though. How 'bout you?" Jack asked.

"Yep. Almost pissed my pants when that second pickup showed up. We faced 'em down though and they backed off. We might not get so lucky next time." Ennis warned.

"Then again, there might not be a next time." Jack said with a hopeful little smile. "Let's go to bed." He stubbed out his cigarette. Ennis did the same and joined him, turning out the lantern.